Darkness Before Dawn
by dashinginconverse
Summary: She had always been the type to fall too quickly, to love too much. Now, when everything she once knew is ripped away from her, Nikki Bella is unsure what her future holds. At least, until a certain member of the Shield turns everything on its head. AmbroseNikki, plus others
1. Moving Out

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything._

_**Summary: She had always been the type to fall too quickly, to love too much. Now, when everything she once knew is ripped away from her, Nikki Bella is unsure what her future holds. At least, until a certain member of the Shield turns everything on its head. AmbroseNikki, plus others**_

_Alrighty. So this is a completely new thing for me. I'm not sure where this is going or anything, but somehow this idea - and pair - just stuck in my head and I couldn't get it out. So, here this is. A new chapter fic, when I probably shouldn't be writing one. This first chapter isn't very long, just a kind of introductory chapter. I do hope that y'all enjoy this!_

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><p><strong>Darkness Before Dawn<strong>  
><strong>Chapter One: Moving Out<strong>

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><p>With a great sigh, Nikki Bella rolled the tape dispenser over the last of the cardboard boxes containing her belongings.<p>

She tried not to think about what she was doing. Tried to be mechanical in her actions. Tried to separate herself from this moment in time. She was just packing up, just getting ready to go somewhere else. Somewhere...

_Away from John... _her thoughts reminded her.

She wrinkled her nose and hefted the box in her arms, holding it tightly as she descended the stairs. This entire day had sucked. Hard. There was no denying it. She had let a few tears slip when she was alone, packing away like a woman possessed. John had been away doing something or another for _Make a Wish_, she figured, so she thought it best to pack everything up while he was gone.

"Like I'd never been here," she murmured to herself, stepping out the front door, left propped open by a random kitchen chair. The sun beamed down on her as soon as she left the shelter of the house. It felt nice, welcoming, whereas the house itself had been almost cold, as if it knew she was no longer an occupant.

The moving truck was a large one. She had spared no expense. She only wanted the best for her belongings. How much of a punch in the face would it be if she spent all that time moving out, only to have her belongings damaged in transit? The thought rankled her more than it should have.

Sighing, she slid the last box into the back of the truck and watched as the moving guys gave her a look before sliding the door of the truck down. It was almost as if they were shutting the door on her present circumstance.

She turned and looked at the large house, lavish and expensive and almost foreboding. Her heart constricted at the sight of it, and she tried not to think of the reasons she was leaving it right now. Lord knows she had thought about that enough.

But it would be weird, not waking up to John beside her - though, with him being on the road so much, it wouldn't be that much of a change. But not having him in her life was certainly something she could never get used to. Especially that they shared a work environment.

Nikki wondered if she'd ever get over him.

She watched as the movers climbed into the cab of the truck. All of her belongings were now packed away, to be moved into the small apartment she'd gotten for herself. With Brie and Daniel about to get married, she couldn't see herself moving in with Brie. She had a new life to start, and Nikki's was just...

She couldn't think of a word to finish that sentence without sounding depressing.

The moving truck waited until she had gotten into her car and began to drive off so they could follow. Really, Nikki might get lost on the way herself, so it was probably all for naught.

She tried to drive without thinking, turning up the radio to some mindless pop song. For the most part, it worked to distract her from her thoughts.

Nikki didn't get lost, so that was a plus. She turned into the gated apartment complex with the moving truck on her tail. In a matter of minutes she was at her building, looking up at the fancy red brick of the apartment. She sighed, pressing her hands to her eyes for a moment, taking just a bit of rest before having to move all the boxes up the stairs - really, it wouldn't be a big job, since she had the movers to help, but still, the thought of unpacking was almost as emotional as the packing.

Knowing that prolonging this wouldn't help at all, she got out of her car and faced the movers, who were currently bringing out the heavier things - her dresser and bookshelves and other pieces of larger furniture, along with some things she had gotten out of storage to accommodate her place.

"I'll go unlock the door for you," she told them, bringing out her keys and moving up the stairs. Three flights. Her apartment was situated on the third floor, building 303. Convenient, memory-wise.

The day went quickly after that, she supposed. She dictated where she wanted certain things, but told them to just put all of the boxes in the large living room and that she would sort through them later. They had looked at her strangely, but complied. She wondered if it was due to the way she was dressed - few people wore such a short dress and such high heels to move, she supposed - or if it was due to the lackluster tone to her voice. Even _she _could recognize the dullness of her voice, but she couldn't find it in her to correct it, though she had tried.

The movers did as she was told and she paid them, tipped them generously. They gave little nods in their departure, while Nikki called out thanks to them. The door closed gently behind them and she walked forward to turn the lock.

And Nikki found herself alone.

She knew that she had countless people she could call to talk to - her sister, Natalya, Naomi, Cameron... But she honestly didn't want to talk to any of her _Total Divas_ castmates. She didn't want to talk to anyone, period.

Slumping on the lavish couch that she had thankfully moved from storage the day before, she placed her head in her hands and sighed once more, a woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Before she could start to pity herself - _again _- she moved to the boxes and started to unpack, trying to force a steely resolve but coming up short.

But she'd keep trying to move on. She'd keep trying until she couldn't anymore, and then she'd try some more.

Because Nikki Bella was a lot of things - some negative, some positive, some inbetween - but she was _not_ a quitter.

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter One.<strong>_


	2. Day to Day

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything._

_Oh man! I totally wasn't expecting the response the first chapter received. It really is mind blowing! I really hope that y'all enjoy this next installment of this fic. I'm pretty excited about it. Heck, I'm just excited I can write more in general, nowadays. Anyway! I am so grateful for the positive feedback the first chapter got! Thank y'all so much! _

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><p><strong>Darkness Before Dawn<strong>  
><strong>Chapter Two: Day to Day<strong>

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><p>The sunlight beamed down on Nikki's face as she tried her damnedest to not greet the day. Rolling over in bed did little to alleviate the discomfort caused by the rays of the sun piercing her eyelids, so she grabbed the nearest pillow and pressed it to her face.<p>

_"I've never seen someone so eager to waste the day away."_

That brief flicker of a memory caused her to shoot up in bed and grasp her head. It was strange, hearing John's voice so clear, almost as if he was in the bed with her and not miles and miles away.

"This is ridiculous," she said to herself, slinging her legs over the edge of the bed and slowly rising to a standing position. Looking over to the clock on her nightstand - that was the one of the only things she had been able to unpack completely - she saw that it was exactly nine o'clock.

Funny, even when she wanted to sleep the day away, she just couldn't. She blamed it on years of a schedule on the road, constantly being up with the sun and working out, practicing in the ring with Brie and Daniel and John...

Nikki groaned again and ran a hand over her matted hair. She had been so exhausted the night before she just collapsed into her bed as soon as she made it - okay, maybe slightly before - and slept harder than she had in ages. Though she admittedly missed having a man in her bed, she couldn't deny that it was often difficult to really, truly have a good night's rest with someone else occupying the bed with her.

After forcing herself into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair, Nikki checked her phone only to see that she had four text messages.

_"Want to work out tomorrow morning?" _From Brie, sent at around eleven last night.

_"We are at the usual gym right now... Probably until around nine o'clock. Text me when you can?" _Another from Brie.

_"Hey girlie, want to get mimosas with me and Naomi?" _Cameron.

_"Me and Cam are getting mimosas with Nattie at 10:00 at that restaurant... Nina's, I think? Want to join?" _Naomi.

Nikki let out a sigh that she didn't know she had been holding in. At least John hadn't text her. She was pretty sure he had no idea that she had moved out, and she was slightly worried about his reaction when he found out, but...

A part of her really didn't care.

Of course, that was a very tiny part of her. The majority of her being wanted John to care about her more than anything, to want what she wanted, for the both of them to have mutual goals, for the both of them to grow together as separate people as well as a couple.

But an even bigger part of her - the part of her that made the decision to pack her things and finally leave - knew that those ideal things just weren't possible. At least, not for the two of them, together.

Nikki didn't really want to dwell on that.

She made her way into the kitchen, finding everything as she left it the night before. Boxes left scattered around the place, only the bare necessities actually unpacked and slightly put away. There were clothes and books and other random knickknacks scattering the floor. Some boxes were completely gutted of their contents, but others still had yet to be opened.

Nikki opened the refrigerator in vain, finding that it was empty. Of course it was. She was still moving herself in, after all. Groceries were kind of on the unimportant side of the list right now.

She knelt over the boxes that contained her normal clothes, feeling like she should at least try to dress up somewhat to get a sense of her normal self. It was ridiculous, but maybe those flashy clothes would help her cope. Lying around in her pajamas all day and watching cheesy girly movies would not help her get over John. And that was what she desperately needed to do at the moment.

The brunette ended up choosing a tight-fitting red top and a pair of skinny jeans along with the designer heels she had bought herself for her last birthday. She would try to seek out the proper jewelry after her shower.

A high-pitched ringing caught her ears and she gripped her phone in a perfectly manicured hand. "Hello?"

"Hey girl! We hadn't heard back from you and we're about to leave for _Nina's_. Are you up for some breakfast-brunch-type-deal?" Naomi greeted over the line.

Nikki fought a smile at Naomi's calm voice, comparing it quickly to Cameron's...Cameron-ness. She really couldn't find another word for it. It was really odd how different they were and yet they were best friends. "Well..." she fumbled over her words.

"Come on," Naomi said, her voice kind yet firm. "We feel like we haven't seen you in forever."

Nikki pursed her lips, pondering the event itself, before ultimately relenting.

After all, if today wasn't a mimosa type of day, then what was?

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><p>As soon as she arrived at <em>Nina's<em>, Nikki recognized her mistake.

She had been avoiding people for a reason, after all. However much she missed the calming presence of Naomi or the wisdom of her sister, she still needed time alone, she felt. Being around people at a time like this just simply wasn't a good idea, no matter how fabulous she looked.

Of course the topic of conversation would be everyone's significant others. Of course everyone would be talking about her sister's upcoming wedding. Of course. _Of course._

Nikki just gritted her teeth and bared it. She couldn't think of any particular reason to get up and leave, really. Maybe she could just pretend she had to go to the gym to keep up with her workout regimen? She can hear her excuse already, _"I can't allow myself to get fat, guys."_

But despite that thought, she continued to shovel eggs and grits and bacon and biscuits into her face. _An emotional-eater, through and through. _It was almost disgraceful, eating like this in front of everyone - especially Nattie and her carefully chosen, protein-rich diet; or Cameron and her singular damn grapefruit; or her sister and her _organic_ food.

She caught her sister glancing at her every now and then, but she never said anything. Clearly, Brie understood that something was wrong and that Nikki wasn't ready to share it with the entirety of their friends.

To punctuate this fact, Brie sent Nikki a text during their brunch that said, _"Talk later."_

To which Nikki replied, _"Damn you."_

As soon as she pressed 'send', another message popped up on the screen of her cell phone. Without thinking, she scrolled to it and her heart sank as she read the very words she had been dreading all day from the very person she had been so futilely trying to bar from her thoughts.

_"So, Nikki, when exactly were you going to tell me that you moved out?"_

"Well, shit."

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter Two.<strong>_


	3. Interruptions

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything._

_Thanks so much for the responses for the first two chapters! I'm still so shocked that this fic is receiving such great feedback. Shocked and completely humbled and grateful. I really hope that everyone likes this third chapter! Thanks so much for reading!_

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><p><strong>Darkness Before Dawn<strong>  
><strong>Chapter Three: Interruptions<strong>

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><p>It had taken everything in Nikki's body to not text John back with her answer.<p>

A part of her was angry with him - he _texted _her about something this important? Didn't she even warrant a phone call?

Another part of her, however, missed him, still. And she needed to stamp down this part of her as quickly as possible. Preferably violently. Preferably with a stiletto. _Everything _was preferable with a nice pair of pumps, after all, even squashing the dreams of something that was once the ultimate goal of one's life.

He hadn't said anything else to her since. She'd avoided him backstage and on the bus and during events. She'd gone as far as leaving the gym whenever he came around to do his usual workout. Brie knew everything now, and she was just as motherly as she'd always been, though she was super supportive. They were twins, after all, and Brie wished the world for her sister.

"Don't compromise what you want for anyone," Brie had told her. "I think you made the right choice, Nicole. Don't doubt that."

Nikki couldn't help but have those words on replay in the back of her mind as she stretched and got ready for her match. She was facing AJ Lee, and that required one to be extremely cautious. Tiny as she was, AJ was a threat, and Nikki didn't deny that. She also couldn't deny her desire to have that butterfly belt around her waist, even if it required smashing a certain Black Widow with her louboutin.

Which she would never conceivably do, of course. Seriously, who would kill a spider with such an expensive shoe? The thought itself was enough to make her cringe.

Smirking to herself at her childish interlude, she hardly noticed the man behind her until he said, "I don't know what I did to cause you to avoid me, Nicole."

Nikki stiffened in the middle of one of her stretches, back arched like a cat, her eyes wide in her face. She shouldn't have been surprised, not really. John's whole life was this company, so it would only by typical that she'd run into him sooner or later. However, Nikki was banking on the _later _aspect of said situation.

"It's not you..."

She hadn't turned to face him, but she could see that smirk on his face, that face that she still loved. "Oh, it's the whole, _it's not you, it's me_ thing, right?"

Nikki finally turned around, her voice almost desperate as she said his name. John's clear gaze was settled on her, and he looked almost sad. _Almost_ being the key word.

"I wish I could say I don't know why you did what you did," he continued, "but I do."

"Huh. You do? Now isn't that _nice_? All wrapped up in a pretty little present, like everything is when it comes to you."

_Shit, girl, where the fuck did that come from? He doesn't deserve that, _she thought. _And here you were going to try to be civil._

"I'm sorry you feel that way," John replied, unperturbed by her outburst.

_He's always been good like that, you know._

Nikki wasn't sure what to say. She had so many things she wanted to get off her chest, so many things she needed to say to make him understand. She wasn't going to sacrifice anything else for him, not anymore. She couldn't. But even as she thought this, her heart thudded painfully.

"Can I take you to dinner?"

She paused. "What?"

John looked at her, his gaze as steady as it had ever been. At one point, she fancied herself the only person who could truly tell what was behind those eyes of his. Now, she just fancies herself a fool.

"I feel like...the workplace isn't the prime area to talk about this sort of thing," he replied.

"If I recall, you were the one who came up to me," she said, not unkindly.

John smiled at that. "You wouldn't answer my calls."

"Touche," she admitted bitterly.

There was a quiet moment between the two of them, one that Nikki couldn't seem to shake for hours afterward, which was broken by John saying, "I just want closure - from you, not from my own assumptions about you." His voice was soft, the ghosts of her past floating around her head. "Because it seems like I don't know you at all."

He turned away from her, leaving her with a feeling akin to being punched in the gut.

Nikki had no time to think of the way her insides felt as if they were being smashed down by some horrid force beyond her control. She rolled her neck from side to side, inhaling deeply as she continued her pre-match routine, unaware of the eyes on her back until a very familiar, drawling voice said, "Well, that seemed like ideal drama for your little _Real Housewives _bullshit."

Her spine straightened - out of insult as well as surprise - and she turned around to face a very different set of blue eyes, ones that were mocking instead of placid, ones that were wild instead of calm, ones that seemed to hate instead of love.

"Ambrose," she sneered. "You were _spying_ on us?"

Dean Ambrose rolled his shoulders a bit, his posture slumped and yet she felt like the smaller one in the room. "Hard not to. I could _smell_ the melodrama a mile away, doll."

Nikki felt the sudden urge to punch him. Again and again and again.

"That was none of your business."

A smile cracked Dean's face, one whose very presence whispered, _Dangerous. _"You do know that shit's been on television for, like, two years?"

She closed her eyes, calming the _growl_ she felt building in her throat. "That wasn't for the cameras, you asshole."

Even though she was clearly trying to keep her calm in this situation, Dean prodded on, like a little kid poking a bruise to determine how badly it hurt. "Everything's for the cameras with people like you."

Blazing brown eyes snapped open and connected with those smirking blue ones of his. "Listen, I don't have time for this little game with you, got it?" she snarled, feeling more malicious than she had in ages. "You don't know _anything _about me."

This seemed to spur Dean on. "Ah, the whole _you don't know me_ thing, yeah?" He snickered. "How very _high school_."

"High school or not, the fact still stands."

The Lunatic Fringe tilted his head to the side, looking every bit the picture of unhinged, thriving on the chaos he created with his own two hands - or, in this case, his words. He said nothing, only let out a rough, cynical laugh as he turned, waving his hand in dismissal. "You keep thinking that, _doll_."

As she watched him walk away, she damned herself for the tears that clouded her vision, damned herself for the way her fists shook, and damned herself for letting Dean Ambrose affect her when no one else had.

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><p><em><strong>End Chapter Three.<strong>_


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